


just take a sick day

by BugontheRug



Series: Misfortune Begets Love [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buck being stubborn, M/M, Post Buck/Abby Break-up, Pre-Slash, Sick Fic, Worried Eddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:12:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugontheRug/pseuds/BugontheRug
Summary: Buck comes to work sick much to the concern of Eddie.





	just take a sick day

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fic request by a Nonnie on tumblr who asked for "a BuckxEddie fic where Buck is sick with a chest infection, worrying Eddie when he still goes to work despite being sick". I hope you like it Nonnie!

“Eddie! You’re home!” Buck jumped up off the couch to greet him.

“Hey Buck. How’s Christopher?” He looked behind Buck at the pile of blankets on the couch.

“Christopher and I had a blast today, right Chris?”

“Yea!” Came a sleepy reply from the blankets that made Eddie’s heart warm.

“Yea, we watched some Indiana Jones movies and took some naps.” Buck lowered his voice, turning serious. “His fever hasn’t gone up at all and he was able to keep lunch and dinner down and I kept giving him fluids so he should be fine.”

Eddie’s face softened. God, this guy was amazing. “Thanks Buck.”

“No need to thank me. I got to share the best movies ever made with an awesome kid.” 

Eddie groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t show him Temple of Doom.” Buck’s face turned sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Nah, but he did seem to enjoy the face melting scene in Raider’s of the Lost Ark.”

“Buck.” Eddie whined.

“What?! I watched these movies all the time with my dad growing up and look how I turned out.”

“Yea, look at how you turned out.” Eddie teased.

“Oh, ha ha, you’re hilarious.” Buck mocked, gently shouldering him as he passed him to exit the front door. “Bye Chris, feel better!”

“Bye, Buck.” Came a mumbled reply.

“Bye, Buck.” Eddie said, leaning against the open door.

“Bye Eddie. See ya at work on Tuesday.” Buck left with a wave, hopping down the porch steps.

Eddie closed the door behind him and turned to Christopher. “Okay little man, time for bed.”

***

Eddie couldn’t help but check the clock for the umpteenth time this morning. It was twenty minutes past when Buck should’ve shown up for their shift. He was thinking about giving Buck a call when the man came running in.

“Sorry, sorry, I know I’m late. I kept snoozing my alarms.” Buck fell into the seat next to Eddie. “I’ve just been so tired the last couple days and achy. Had a hard time falling asleep last night.”

Eddie took in the blond man’s appearance. His face was a little flushed, maybe from the short jog through the station, and his eyes were a little glassy. “Buck, you feeling okay?” 

“Yea, man totally fine.” Buck said, waving a dismissive hand at him. Eddie was going to keep pushing when Buck stood up quickly saying, “Chim, man, let me show you how it’s done.” Chimney was at the pinball machine and Buck was at his side before Eddie could say anything more.

He stealthily watches Buck the rest of the morning. During breakfast, while he washed the engine, and now he was watching him clean the same spot off his helmet for the last five minutes. 

“What are you doing?” Hen had come up beside him, joining him at the railing of the kitchen overlooking the garage. He gave her a quick glance before looking back at Buck.

“Does Buck seem off to you?” He asked her. Some part of him hoped that this was just an off day for Buck, the kind everyone gets, and maybe Hen had seen this before.

“Now that you mention it, he has been kind of quiet for Buck.” Her nose crinkled in concentration and she opened her mouth to say more when the siren went off.

In the engine, Eddie noticed Buck was a little pale and sweaty. “Hey Buck, maybe you want to sit this one out.” 

“Yea man you don’t look too hot.” Chim chimed in.

“Guys, I’m fine.” Buck huffed. 

“If you’re going to put people at risk, Buck, you should sit this one out,” Cap said from the front, turning to give Buck a stern look. Buck returned his own full of fire.

“It’s an apartment fire, we need all hands on deck.” Buck had a determined set to his jaw and, God help him, Eddie couldn’t help admire him even though he’s sure he’s being a dumbass.

They arrived at the fire, joining two other stations to fight it. It took them hours to get it out and by the time they were done Eddie was exhausted. All his worry for Buck went to the back of his mind as he concentrated on the task at hand, but now he went searching for him and found him at the engine.

“Buck,” he called jogging over to him.

“Hey man,” Buck pulled his helmet off and he looked worse than ever. “ ‘S it jus’ me or wastha’ harder than usual...? Buck was swaying and Eddie was thinking the stars for his quick reflexes because in the next moment Buck fainted and Eddie caught him in his arms.

“Help! Man down!” Eddie yelled, ripping off Buck’s jacket, noting the undershirt was soaked through (from the fire or a fever?), he pressed his fingers to the pulse point on Buck’s neck (too fast, it’s too fast). That’s all he could do before the paramedics came with a gurney and were rolling Buck into the ambulance. 

He tried to hop in the back when he was stopped. “I’m sorry sir, there’s no more room.”

“But, I--” A hand fell onto his shoulder. He turned to face Cap.

“Come on kid, we’ll meet them at the hospital.

***

On the ride to the hospital, all the adrenaline drained from him. He put his head in his hands, seated in the waiting room, and let every feeling and emotion that was kept at bay rush through him. He was angry, angry at himself for noticing something was wrong with Buck but not doing anything about it, for not making him sit this one out. He was scared, God he was so scared. His heart stopped when Buck dropped. He could still feel the dead weight of him in his arms.

Several hands rubbed at his shoulders and back. “Don’t worry, it’s Buck, he’s always alright.” Chim said. Eddie looked up and saw Chim and Hen smiling sympathetically at him.  
“Yea, that’s Buck.” he said weakly.

The waiting room was dead silent when the doctor came in. Eddie stood up, but unsure what to do after. He rubbed his hands against his pants and asked, “How is he?”

“Well,” she said, “He has a fever of 104 and was pretty dehydrated when he came in. We gave him fever reducers and have him on fluids. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did fighting a fire. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush.”

Suddenly all Eddie could envision was Buck fainting inside a burning apartment. He should’ve stuck with him. Why did they split up? He had to sit back down.

“So he’ll be alright?” Cap asked.

“Yes, once his fever breaks we’ll observe him to make sure it isn’t coming back and then he’ll be free to go.” The whole room lets out a sigh of relief. The doctor said Buck was resting and wouldn’t be allowing visitors until tomorrow so the team headed back to work. Eddie couldn’t get Buck off his mind.

***

The next day after his shift, Eddie went to the hospital. Luckily Carla was okay with watching Christopher for the day and told him to give Buck her best. Cap helped him cook some chicken noodle soup before he left the station to bring to Buck.

“Hello,” he said to the nurse at the front desk. “I’m here to see Evan Buckley.” The nurse typed away at the computer before saying “It looks like Mr. Buckley checked himself out a few hours ago.”

“Oh, okay.” Eddie backed away, “Thank you.” Once outside, he pulled out his phone to call Maddie.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey Maddie, just calling to see how Buck is doing.” He struggled to open the car door with the soup in hand and phone against his ear.

“Uh, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t stopped by the hospital yet. My shift ends in an hour.” 

Eddie froze, switching the phone to his other ear. “What do you mean? He checked out this afternoon.”

“Eddie? Where’s Buck?” The fear in her voice matched the fear growing in him. 

“I don’t know. But I’ll find him.” He hung up and jumped into his car heading to Buck’s apartment.

He practically ran up the stairs, careful to not drop the soup container and banged on Buck’s door.

Buck opened the door, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, still looking flushed but better than yesterday, confusion painted across his face. “Eddie?”

“What were you thinking?!” Eddie said pushing into the apartment. “You didn’t call Maddie, you didn’t call me, you didn’t let anyone know where you were!”

“Stahp, don’t yell. I have a headache.” Buck grumbled shuffling back to the couch where he had a nest of pillows and blankets. Eddie took in the room and saw Temple of Doom was playing on the tv, there were tissues everywhere and an empty glass on the table.

Sighing, Eddie rubbed his forehead. “You just worried us Buck. You really gave us a scare yesterday.” When he received no response he said, “Carla sends her love by the way.” 

Eddie made himself at home in the kitchen heating up the soup. While it was in the microwave he walked around throwing out tissues and filled the glass with water. He rooted around in the bathroom to find a thermometer. He put the glass of water in front of Buck and put the thermometer in his mouth, receiving a petulant glare for his trouble. 

Looking at the reading he said, “Well it’s still high but not bad. Drink the water. The doctor said you were dehydrated. You need to keep up with fluids when you’re sick, Buck.”

He grabbed the soup while Buck finished the water. When the bowl was placed in his lap, Buck perked up. “Is this the Cap’s soup? He makes the best chicken noodle soup you’ll ever taste,” he said before shoveling down.

Eddie watched with a small smile before frowning. “Why didn’t you wait for Maddie?”

Buck gave a shrug. “It’s just a cold. I’ve been through worse.” 

Eddie put a hand on his blanket covered shoulder. “Yea, but you don’t have to go through it alone.”

Buck shrugged him off. “Go home, Eddie. You have a sick son to take care of. You don’t have to be here taking care of me.”

Eddie’s jaw clenched. This man was too stubborn for his own good. “Fine,” he said standing up and leaving the apartment.

He came back an hour and a half later with Christopher in tow, much to the surprise of Buck given his face when he opened the door. “Since you’re both sick, I might as well take care of both of you then.” Buck gave him a dopey smile and let them in with a quiet, "Thanks, Eddie.". Not an hour later saw the three them asleep on the couch, nestled in the blanket nest with Christopher and Buck using Eddie as a pillow and the credits rolling in the background.


End file.
